The Mexican Navy’s Fourth Naval Zone rescued four crew members from a yacht taking on water near Isla San Francisquito in the Sea of Cortez, off La Paz. All four were brought to shore without injuries after a coordinated emergency response on April 20.
The rescue began when authorities received a distress call reporting the vessel was in trouble. The Regional Port Authority and the State C4 Command Center, Baja California Sur’s centralized emergency coordination hub, activated the response. SEMAR (Secretaría de Marina, the Mexican Navy) deployed a Defender-class patrol vessel carrying specialized rescue swimmers to the scene.
Coordinated Response Brings Crew to Safety
Rescue swimmers reached the four crew members and transferred them to the Defender-class boat. The Navy then transported all four to the Fourth Naval Zone dock in La Paz. Medical personnel assessed the group on arrival, and no injuries were reported.
Isla San Francisquito sits in the Sea of Cortez, a body of water that draws sailboats, cruising yachts, and sport fishing vessels year-round. The island lies north of La Paz along a route frequented by boaters traveling between the city and the Midriff Islands. Conditions in this stretch of the Sea of Cortez can shift quickly, with strong currents and wind changes common during spring months.
Navy Has Handled Multiple Rescues Near La Paz
This is not the first time the Fourth Naval Zone has carried out a rescue in these waters. In May 2025, the same unit rescued 22 people, including six children, after two yachts ran aground near Isla Nepomuceno, close to Balandra and Espíritu Santo Island. In a separate incident that month, the Navy responded to a civilian emergency landing near La Paz.
Boaters in the La Paz area can reach the Fourth Naval Zone for emergencies at 612-123-2838. SEMAR also operates a national maritime emergency line at 800-627-4621 (800 MARINA 1). The Navy has urged all boaters in the region to carry working distress signaling equipment and to familiarize themselves with VHF emergency channels monitored by port authorities.
This story was first reported by The Cabo Post.